Lately I’ve been thinking that life is full of goodbyes. We say goodbye to people we meet just briefly and will probably never see again. We said goodbye a long time ago to people who’ve now moved out of our lives. At funerals we say goodbye for the last time in this life. Sometimes, we feel we’ve missed our chance to say what we really should have said when the person was alive. Sometimes we say goodbye on unhappy terms. And then we regret not saying what we should have said. And now it’s too late to tell them that they were loved.
This week, someone told me about a train trip they made on holiday. At one of the stops, they chatted to a man on the platform. Just a few hours later, the man died. The question was asked: What could/should I have told him before I said goodbye?
In her poem, Julie answers this question:
If there were one thing I could tell you
If there were one thing I could tell you
Before we say goodbye,
It would be how much God loves you;
How Jesus died, for you and I.
For God so loved the world,
That He gave His only Son;
Jesus became the sacrifice
For us – for everyone.
You see, we’re born,
We grow, we sin.
No one is ‘good’,
We’re all corrupt within.
God is so holy, so pure, divine;
We’re cut off, by our deeds,
From Him, forever – except:
Jesus intercedes.
The payment of our sin is death,
There’s nothing we can do.
But God offers us eternal life,
Through grace, we’re made anew.
God offers us this sacred gift:
Eternal life, through Jesus Christ,
And it’s just because He loves us so,
That Jesus’s death sufficed.
For while we are still sinners,
Jesus died in our place
Because God sees and loves,
Looking not on our disgrace.
This gift is being offered
Freely, to all
Who choose to believe,
If on His Name they call.
For everyone who calls
On the Name of the Lord,
Goes from death, to life,
All hope being restored!
Source:
The full post is here on Julie’s blog: If There Were One Thing I Could Tell You – Simply Life:
Why should I tell you about Jesus?
I’m not saying that you’re going to die soon. But actually, you ARE going to die. We all are. And none of us knows just when that might be – unless you are contemplating suicide, then you might know your death date. [DON’T do it – Jesus loves you. He has a better plan for your life and your death].
When you are dead, no one will be able to tell you anything. No one will be able to tell you the good news that God loves you! I’ve only got limited time to tell you about Jesus. And you’ve only got limited time to hear it and believe it.
God loves you!
This is the most important message of all time:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
My purpose
What is my purpose? is one of the big questions of life. It’s one of the big questions that I wrestle with on this blog. The purpose of www.jesusontheroad.com is to point you to Jesus; to tell you that Jesus loves you to death and beyond.
I don’t want to preach to you. You’ve got to make your own decisions about life and all the Big Questions. But I do want to share the good news with you. I want to give you hope. Even when the world seems hopeless; even when you’d rather just toss in the towel and give up. Especially in these troubled times. Jesus came to bring hope in times just like the ones we are in now. God promises that He will always help us:
So do not fear, for I am with you;
Isaiah 41:10
Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
See you later
Many of you I’ve never met. Many of you I never will meet in this life. But, God’s promise of eternal life in heaven is for all believers. So, goodbye doesn’t have to be permanent, even when we die. It can be See you later. We’ll meet in heaven!
Related Posts:
What Can I Do about Death? or Eat, Drink, and Be Merry, for Tomorrow we Die
Podcast #38 What Can I do about Death/Eat, Drink and Be Merry for Tomorrow we Die
Comments
2 responses to “What should I tell you before we say Goodbye?”
My recent experience is that my eldest daughter has estranged herself from me saying I was never a good parent/ mother.
This has deeply wounded me. I am worried about if something happens to her or me and nothing has been resolved, then what?
So what you have written here has made me think more that I may just have to take the risk of at least trying to meet with her. This is where this lovely poem has meant so much. Thanks.
Sorry to hear about your daughter’s estrangement. I pray that God can guide both of you to seek restoration of your relationship. God Bless.